Akira Toriyama was arguably the greatest manga artist and writer of his time. The original Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z are undeniable proof of Toriyama's genius. Both Dragon Ball and DBZ feature some of the absolute best fights in shonen manga and anime history, blending strong character development with some of the best fight choreography of all time.
Dragon Ball: Every Single Goku Form, Ranked From Weakest to Strongest
Goku's had a lot of different forms from the original series, to DBZ, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, and most recently Dragon Ball DAIMA.
Although not personally drawn, or even written by Akira Toriyama (aside from the movies), even Dragon Ball Super has been able to keep the franchise's quality high. Between the original Dragon Ball, DBZ, and Dragon Ball Super, the Dragon Ball franchise features some of the best anime fights of all time. While Goku's often at the forefront of the series' best battles, Dragon Ball is at its best when it challenges him and the rest of the Z-Fighters with seemingly impossible odds.
10 Goku & Piccolo vs Raditz Was the Perfect Start to Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Z opens with a bang unlike any other. Five years after the end of Goku and Piccolo's final battle at the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai in Dragon Ball, a mysterious alien lands on Earth, claims to be Goku's brother, and forces Goku to team up with his greatest enemy just to stand a chance at beating Raditz. What makes Goku & Piccolo's fight against Raditz such a standout is how much stronger Raditz is than anyone Goku has fought up to this point. Raditz is ridiculously fast, supremely powerful, and very nearly kills Goku & Piccolo multiple times.
Even teaming up, they can barely compete with the Saiyan. Toriyama's fight choreography is in rare form as he pushes Goku and Piccolo to their absolute limits in a violent, chaotic showdown that forces them to pull out all the stops. The fight ultimately ends with one of anime's greatest twists: Goku dying at the start of a brand-new anime, and Raditz revealing there are two more Saiyans even stronger than him coming to Earth in less than a year. Few anime start off as memorably as Dragon Ball Z.
9 Goku & Vegeta vs Moro Will Break the Internet Once It's Animated
Although the Dragon Ball Super anime ended with the Tournament of Power, Toyotarou's manga adaptation kept chugging along for three more story arcs. Once Dragon Ball Super finally returns in animated form, it'll only be a matter of time before the Moro Saga finally gets the anime it deserves. Goku & Vegeta's final battle with Moro is one of the best fights in Dragon Ball history, serving as the culmination of Goku's training with Ultra Instinct and Vegeta's redemption arc to make up for all the sins he committed on Namek. Goku vs Moro takes up the bulk of the battle, with the two fighters using their own versions of Ultra Instinct against one another.
The Moro Saga is when Toyotarou's fight choreography really hits its stride, channeling Akira Toriyama and the Toei movies in perfect harmony. Every hit feels impactful, the battle takes multiple twists & turns, and the character moments are some of the absolute best-written in DBS. While Vegeta doesn't do much, his contributions with Forced Spirit Fission are incredibly memorable, and he pulls off a massive assist to help Goku land the killing blow. Goku & Vegeta vs Moro will be the biggest fight in Dragon Ball since Ultra Instinct Goku vs Jiren in the ToP.
8 Gohan vs Cell Could Have Been a Beautiful End to Dragon Ball Z
While it was just a rumor for years, Akira Toriyama's former editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, confirmed last year that Dragon Ball Z was originally going to end with the Cell Saga. With this in mind, Gohan vs Cell would have been the last fight in the series. Considering how Goku vs Cell basically serves as a swan song to Goku's character, this makes perfect sense. Gohan vs Cell isn't a traditional final arc battle – Gohan is a lot stronger than Cell throughout the whole battle – but instead uses Gohan's personal weaknesses as a means for character drama.
Gohan doesn't want to be a martial artist like his father. He likes fighting, but not in the same way Goku does. It's not until Cell kills Android 16 in front of Gohan that he realizes some battles have to be fought. Even then, though, Gohan decides to play with his food until Cell tries self-destructing, forcing Goku to sacrifice his life. In the end, Gohan needs Goku's encouragement to finish off Cell once and for all, bringing Dragon Ball's theme of the passing the torch onto the next generation full circle.
7 Goku vs Jackie Chun Was Dragon Ball's First 10/10 Fight
The original Dragon Ball's tournament arcs feature some of Akira Toriyama's absolute best action and writing. While Dragon Ball was no stranger to Ki attacks, Toriyama's focus on martial arts early on made the tournament battles feel a lot more creative than most later DBZ fights, and especially Dragon Ball Super. Goku vs Jackie Chun is arguably the moment Dragon Ball goes from good to great, establishing the series' theme of accepting there will always be someone better than you and the next generation always surpassing the last.
Goku and Jackie Chun's final showdown is filled with creative twist after twist, unique techniques, and multiple phases of battle as the sun slowly sets on Master Roshi's fight against his greatest pupil. Goku even turns into a Great Ape for the last time, forcing Jackie Chun to destroy the moon with a full power Kamehameha. The fact Jackie Chun defeats Goku because he's more strategic, not necessarily stronger, set an important precedent for Dragon Ball's best fights down the road.
6 Goku vs Tien Shinhan is the Most Underrated Fight in the Series
The 22nd World Tournament is arguably the only saga in Dragon Ball where it feels like anyone can win. Goku and Tien are holding back for most of the arc, but it really feels like Yamcha, Krillin, Jackie Chun, and even Chiaotzu could win by fighting smart enough. Goku and Tien going head-to-head in the final round isn't just a battle between two great martial artists, it's a battle of philosophy as Goku's Turtle School background slowly breaks down Tien's evil Crane School teachings, and shows him what a real martial artist is capable of.
It's Time Dragon Ball Makes Its Comeback In 2026
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Goku vs Tien also marks the point where Dragon Ball starts embracing Ki attacks and unique techniques, with Tien busting out a new skill in basically every single episode, forcing Goku to adapt and fight back just as creatively. The battle's end comes down to pure luck, as both Goku and Tien are evenly matched. The fact Goku loses and Tien wins is a perfect conclusion, as Goku has to accept humility in defeat while Tien truly believes he only won due to dumb luck, both fights embracing Dragon Ball's main theme that there will always be someone better.
5 Gogeta vs Broly is Nothing Short of Legendary
Dragon Ball Super: Broly might be the best-directed movie in the entire franchise, with some pretty compelling writing to beat. Akira Toriyama took Dragon Ball Z's Broly from an overrated joke into one of Dragon Ball Super's most tragic characters, sporting a truly emotional arc as he loses his father and is manipulated by Frieza into fighting Goku & Vegeta. DBS: Broly's fight choreography and art direction is leagues above anything else in the series.
While just about any fight in Broly can easily be listed as one of Dragon Ball's best, the highlight of the movie has to be Gogeta and Legendary Super Saiyan Broly's final showdown. Marking Gogeta's first canon appearance in Dragon Ball, Tatsuya Nagamine's direction is full of weight, style, and beautiful fight choreography on par with anything from Akira Toriyama's manga. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero isn't bad, but the Dragon Ball movies absolutely peaked with Broly.
4 Goku, Frieza, & 17 vs Jiren Ended Dragon Ball Super on an Unforgettable High
The final battle in the Dragon Ball Super anime's Tournament of Power, Goku, Frieza, and Android 17's final fight with Jiren lives up to all the hype. Incredibly animated and directed, to the point where you can feel the weight behind each strike, what makes the last battle with Jiren really land is all the build-up to it. Universe 7 has been fighting Jiren for multiple episodes at this point. Everyone is exhausted, Goku can no longer turn Ultra Instinct, and he, Frieza, and 17 are the last men standing.
Dragon Ball Super Episode 131 is full of desperation and hope in equal measure, as Goku and Frieza give their all to knock Jiren out of bounds. Goku teaming up with his arch-nemesis feels appropriately epic, calling back to his team-up with Piccolo at the start of Dragon Ball Z. The cherry on top is Jiren finally being overwhelmed by Universe 7's best fighters, and 17 revealing that he faked his death, netting the Z-Fighters a well-deserved win earned not through higher Power Levels, but by genius teamwork.
3 Gohan, Krillin, Vegeta, Piccolo, & Goku vs Frieza is a Desperate Showdown Unlike Any Other
Dragon Ball is best known for its one on one battles, but Akira Toriyama was arguably at his best writing group battles. The final fight with Frieza is an endurance match through and through. As Frieza cycles through four overwhelmingly powerful forms, Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, and Vegeta all do the best they can to stall for time and defeat Frieza before he gets too strong for even Goku to handle. Every single Z-Fighter gets a moment to shine. Krillin cuts off Frieza's tail, Gohan's rage allows him to deal serious damage on second form Frieza, and Piccolo gives Frieza a cathartic beatdown on behalf of the Namekian race.
Vegeta ironically has the worst showing, but his iconic death is exactly what convinces Goku he needs to embrace his Saiyan heritage to fight Frieza. Goku's portion of the fight is even better. Despite being outclassed in every respect, Goku pulls out creative technique after technique – using the Kamehameha in genius ways, powering up the Kaioken to x20, and pulling off DBZ's largest Spirit Bomb at that point. Frieza killing Krillin just raises the stakes as Goku finally turns Super Saiyan, and takes complete control of the fight in a moment built on some of Dragon Ball's best character drama.
2 Goku vs Piccolo is the Greatest Tournament Battle of All Time
The original Dragon Ball's last fight is also its absolute best. After losing two tournaments, the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai finally gives Goku the chance to crown himself the Strongest Under the Heavens. More or less equally matched with Piccolo, this is a fight that comes down to pure skill. Goku is in rare form, fighting like a martial arts genius as he uses all his techniques in expert fashion to take control of the fight away from Piccolo.
Akira Toriyama's fight choreography is nothing short of brilliant here. Every hit has tremendous weight behind it, the paneling masterfully flows from page to page with perfect pacing, and the way the fight escalates to Piccolo crippling every limb in Goku's body only for Goku to fly for the first time and defeat his greatest enemy is magnificent writing. The fact Goku spares Piccolo so they can fight again even calls back to his loss against Tien: he wants a rival who can push him and eventually surpass him. Goku vs Piccolo is an all around brilliant way to end the OG Dragon Ball.
1 Goku, Gohan, Krillin, & Yajirobe vs Vegeta is Akira Toriyama's Masterpiece
Saiyan Saga Vegeta was a menace the likes of which Dragon Ball has not seen since. Like Raditz before him, Goku was truly outclassed fighting Vegeta. In Akira Toriyama's best drawn and written fight, Goku hits a real wall in his battle with Vegeta. Even the Kaioken isn't enough to actually kill him. Goku is forced to wear down his body and waste all his Ki in the series' greatest beam struggle, as Vegeta reaches a point of pure desperation when he realizes that a mere lower class warrior is strong enough to not only make him bleed, but scare him.
Toriyama's writing here is his absolute best in Dragon Ball, using Goku vs Vegeta as a means to comment on nature versus nurture, bringing some nuanced class-based themes into the manga. The battle only gets better as Gohan, Krillin, and Yajirobe join the fight. Everything spirals from here, as the few Z-Fighters who survived Nappa work together and exhaust themselves just to barely beat Vegeta. Dragon Ball fights would rarely feel this epic again.
- Created by
- Akira Toriyama
- First TV Show
- Dragon Ball
- Latest TV Show
- Dragon Ball DAIMA
- Upcoming TV Shows
- Dragon Ball DAIMA
- First Episode Air Date
- February 26, 1986
- TV Show(s)
- Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball DAIMA